Creature Teachers

At Your Local Zoo

You don’t have to travel far to enjoy a getaway that will also build your biblical worldview. In times of economic woe, just a little imagination and planning can transform a trip to the local zoo into an unforgettable “staycation.”

The book of Job includes an interesting command. We are told in poetic language
to “ask the beasts, and they will teach you . . . and the birds . . . and the
fish.” So what can the animals teach us? “That the hand of the Lord has done
this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all
mankind” (Job 12:7–10).

As warm weather returns after the long winter, a visit to the local zoo is
a great way to enjoy a mini-vacation, especially in tough financial times. What
great memories! Older adults relish reliving past escapades of riding camels,
feasting on cotton candy, and reveling in a day outdoors. Young families look
forward to making new memories.

Join us on a visit to the zoo . . . but this time with new eyes.

God’s Created Kinds

As our day at the zoo begins, signposts point to the many animal exhibits,
and we must decide where to begin. Even these signposts, pointing the way to
cats, elephants, and other readily identifiable animals, teach us something
about the Creator. He created all living things “according to their kind” (Genesis
1:21).

The “kind” is the basic biological unit within which every animal species belongs.
In His infinite wisdom, God knew that the creatures would need to adapt to many
different conditions in order to survive in a fallen world, so He enabled the
original kinds to adapt to many different environments. Yet no matter how much
animals vary within each kind, it is still easy to recognize how a cat differs
from a dog or a rhinoceros.

The zoo’s signposts point to a major problem in evolution’s claim that all
creatures evolved from a single ancestor. Nowhere do we find a seamless continuity
between the major groups of animals. To the contrary, each kind has a vast,
unbridgeable gulf separating it from other kinds.

It usually doesn’t require a scientist to identify these broad divisions between
the original “kinds” (roughly “families” in modern scientific terms). When you
visit the cat exhibits, for example, look for Felidae (the cat family) in the
signs. Lions, tigers, pumas, and many other species belong to the same original
cat family. In fact, many of the different species of wild cats can still be
crossbred to produce offspring.

Wherever you go down the zoo’s paths, you’ll find distinct kinds. Look for
Canidae (the dog family), which includes wolves, coyotes, and foxes. Or look
for Equidae (the horse family), which includes zebras and donkeys. Even small
children can recognize the similarities.

Knowing the challenges that each kind would face as it spread over the earth
after the Flood, the Creator built into every kind the information necessary
to produce many well-adapted species. In the process He marvelously reveals
His love of variety.

God’s Designs

It is time to visit the camel family and take a ride, if available. At the
zoo, every animal is noteworthy, but the camel’s special designs—from head to
toe—are especially obvious. As you stroll through this part of the zoo, note
how the “ship of the desert” seems specially designed to transport humans in
hostile climates where no other beast of burden could survive.

Consider his face: long hairs shield the openings of the ears, eyes, and nose
from sand. His toes: the flexible, wide foot pad spreads out like a snowshoe,
keeping the camel from sinking into soft sand.

Camel hair is famous for its ability to insulate from both hot and cold. Take
special note of how the camel’s hair rises straight up from the skin, then folds
into a layer without lying directly on the skin. No other animal has this design.
In this way, the evaporation of the water cools primarily the skin rather than
the hair. This system makes the most efficient use of the precious water, which
is released into the air for the purpose of cooling.

The camel has a unique gait, too, that allows him to continue for many hours
without changing pace or wasting energy. Unlike most other animals, he is able
to survive losing up to 25% of his body weight in water. Other animals and humans
would die because their blood would be too thick to pump. We can easily see
God as the Master Designer through this marvelous beast.

As you walk over to the llama exhibit, notice that it belongs to the same family
as camels (Camelidae)! Just as one species is designed to survive in the post-Flood
deserts of Africa, another species is designed to thrive in the cold, high mountains
of South America. Can you find other special designs that help llamas endure
the cold? Despite their differences both belong to the same original created
kind.

God’s Glory

Next we pass by the peacocks and arrive at the aviary. The variety of colors
and design takes away our breath! Such beauty is one of the most obvious testimonies
to God’s glory, yet it is easily overlooked. So much beauty is impossible for
purely naturalistic evolution to explain, because biological beauty requires
lots of metabolic energy and natural selection should minimize the waste of
biological energy for nonessentials.

All other things being equal, an organism that puts more energy into survival
and less into being beautiful should be more fit. Natural selection of living
things, which began after the Fall, is removing the variety and beauty of animals.

Peacock feathers, in particular, have long been the subject of debate. Charles
Darwin claimed that the peacock had beautiful feathers because the female chose
beautiful males. But this only pushes the question back one step. Why does the
female choose the less fit male? Wouldn’t the female who chooses the more fit
male generate more fit offspring?

So the abundance of biological beauty at the zoo testifies to the enormous
beauty that must have been in the initial creation. Only a few thousand years
have passed since Adam’s sin brought death and decay into the world.

No trip to the zoo would be complete without a visit to the primate house to
see the chimpanzees. Evolutionists enjoy pointing out a similarity between chimp
and human DNA (up to 99% by some estimates) to affirm their claim that man originated
from an apelike ancestor. However, as physically similar as the greater apes
are to man, an impassible gulf separates them from us.

Even if the 99% similarity is accurate, the human genome is made of 3 billion
molecules, which would leave 30 million differences. That’s a lot of differences!
Human DNA has perhaps 60% similarity with fruit flies, but that doesn’t mean
we’re like them! All life requires basic chemical processes, and genes code
for these. So we would expect all life to have many genetic similarities, regardless
of their origin.

Perhaps you can’t discuss all the questions while standing in front of the
chimp exhibit. But seeing the chimp could serve as prologue to a deeper look
at Scripture, which tells us about God’s special love as He created us in His
image (see p. 54).

More Amazing Designs

The elephant’s trunk has over 40,000 muscles, while the
entire human has only a few hundred muscles. The same trunk can pick up
tiny peanuts or hurl a full-grown lion against a tree to break its back.

The giraffe’s heart is the largest of any land animal
because it must pump blood all the way to its head. Its neck also has special
muscles in its blood vessels that slow down the rush of blood when it lowers
its head. Without this design, the sudden jump in blood pressure would kill
the giraffe.

The snapping turtle’s tongue is specially designed with
a lure, so that the turtle can remain still underwater and wiggle the worm-like
lure until a curious fish swims up.

The polar bear’s fur is made of clear hollow tubes, for
trapping the sun’s heat. Its skin is actually black, which helps absorb
heat from the sun.

The cheetah’s claws are the only partially retractable
claws among cats. This design gives it extra traction for speed. It also
has an enlarged heart and lungs, which fill its blood with extra oxygen
for bursts of speed.

God’s Judgment and Mercy

One more “must” on any zoo tour is a visit to the lion exhibit. What does the
lion “teach us” about God? The lion is mentioned more than 100 times in Scripture,
so he plays an important role in God’s revelation, not only as a mighty creation
but as a spiritual warning. Some time after the Fall, the plant-eating lion
became a fearsome predator. His change in diet reminds us of the impact of sin
and God’s judgment on the earth. Yet God has promised a future “restitution
of all things,” when even lions will eat plants as they once did in the beginning
(Acts 3:21).

Jesus Christ was prophesied to be the Lion of Judah (Genesis 49:9). By dying
on the Cross as an innocent lamb, He overcame death, the world, and the devil.
His humble sacrifice for sin illustrates His love and mercy, and shows His worthiness
to rule forever over His people. God marvelously illustrates Christ’s power,
strength, and great purpose through this beautiful beast, the lion.

With just these few samples, you can see how a trip to the zoo can be used
to glorify God and teach others about Him. Don’t miss this special opportunity
the next time you visit the zoo!

—special thanks to Kurt Wise for information taken from his unpublished Creationist
Zoo Tour

Answers Magazine

April – June 2010

Debates about evolution and attacks on Scripture seem endless. But why should we be ashamed of truth? In this issue you’ll find basic truths revealed in Genesis and confirmed by science—bare-bones essentials that all Christians need. Also look for fascinating science news, ideas for a faith-building creation “stay-cation” to your local zoo, and semi-technical articles to strengthen your faith and challenge your mind!

Risk-free trial issue!

First name:

Last name:

Email:

Address:

Address2:

City:

State:

Zip:

Leave unfilled:

If you decide you want to keep Answers coming, simply pay your invoice for just $24 and receive four issues (a full year) more. If not, write “cancel” across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless!

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
New subscribers only. No gift subscriptions.Offer valid in U.S. only.

Newsletter

Thank You!

Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis.

Whoops!

Your newsletter signup did not work out. Please refresh the page and try again.

Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. We focus on providing answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.